Posts tagged entertainment
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Google Steps Up Its Game
Android Market, Google Music, and Google eBookstore Rebrand to Google Play
Let’s play word association, shall we?
Apple: iPods, stickers, earbuds, iPhones, Safari, hipsters, coffee shops, MacBooks, iTunes, white, Steve Jobs, QuickTime, iPads
Android: cell phones, that little green robot………… and oh yeah, aren’t they owned by Google?
In short, it’s safe to say brand recognition is an issue for Android, Google’s mobile platform. If customers can’t identify a brand, how will they know where to purchase its products and services?
On March 6 Google took its first step to repair that missing link, launching Google Play as a one-stop-shop for Android apps as well as games, books, movies, and music for viewing on desktop or mobile browsers. Wrapped up in a neat bundle, all of Google’s entertainment services are now easier for customers to access, whether they’re Android owners or Gmail account holders.
Google’s foray into mobile in 2008 quickly found success - they’re the number one mobile platform in the world - but that celerity came with a cost. The platform’s rapid growth since its release is largely due to the proliferation of Android-compatible devices, not consumer awareness of the brand itself. That’s a dangerous strategy, as users who pick up an Android-compatible device simply because their mobile carrier provided it to them have no loyalty to the brand.
What does Google Play mean for competitors like iTunes and Amazon? Google isn’t giving up this market without a fight. For now, Apple “owns” music and Amazon “owns” books, but with a streamlined entertainment market, Google can siphon away Apple and Amazon customers who use Google apps like Gmail, YouTube, Google Chat, Google Maps, and Google Docs. Where better to find new customers than your own backyard?
